The game
by Meinos Kaen
Summary: AU Naruto's life turned for the worst before he was even 10 years old after a dramatic incident. Six years later is back, to payback Konoha of his hate. How? With... The game. [Dark Naruto fic][ON HOLD]
1. PrologueKonoha1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… I own my possible original characters, though…

I don't know why I started writing this story… No, I do know why. I was reading the story "The reaper organization" from floridarocks0091, and when I read chapter 5 I felt so angry that I decided that Konoha deserved pain and terror. And so, welcome my first Dark-Naruto fic. In this fic, Naruto's past was even harsher than the normal story. That because… Naruto had a friend when he was little. You say, shouldn't this be a good thing? Read and see for yourself. Enjoy.

_Prologue_

Naruto was always alone since he could remember. The whole village shunned him for thing he hadn't done. They beat him up. They called him names. They even tried to kill him, if they were drunk or stupid enough. And many times they got away with it. But then… A little ray of light appeared in his life when he was five. In the shape of a girl around his age. The girl had black hair, blue stunning eyes and pale skin. Maybe that was why her name was Yuki. Snow… The girl was crying because her cat wasn't coming down from the tree. Naruto helped her, trying to get the cat to climb down from the tree… Yes, trying. Because after a twenty minutes of fight he fell from the tree with scratches all over his face… This doubled the happiness of the girl, since she was happy for gaining back her cat and because the boy made her laugh.

"Thanks… Neko wasn't coming down."

"Eheheh… I'm a man… And ojisan always says that men must be gentle with girls."

"My name's Yuki **(1)**. And you?"

"Naruto!"

This was the beginning of the end that came after three years from that event. The two children became friends, and the adults began to notice the thing. They started to think that the demon brainwashed Yuki, that the girl was her mate in a human form, or maybe his own spawn. But, that was a problem. A treat. And if the demon was protected from the Hokage, the girl wasn't. So, there was an easy way to solve the problem… Killing. So, when Naruto walked to Yuki's home to meet her in secret, he found a shocking scene in front of his eyes when he passed above a garbage can. Yuki. Covered in blood. Her own blood, coming from many gushes. One of her legs was bended in an unnatural way. Her clothes were all thorn and ripped, and her cat… Her cat was beside her, dead as well. Neko probably tried to defend his owner, and got killed as well. But what shocked Naruto the most was… The message. Yes. The message wrote in her flesh, probably with a Kunai. The message was…

**Your bitch came first, demon. But soon you will follow her!**

"… No… They… No… It was… All my fault…"

Naruto approached the poor girl, and he took one of her hands, holding it between his ones, tears streaming down his cheeks. If only she hadn't befriended him… She would still be alive. Maybe she would hate her… But she would still be alive. Then, he felt it. Her pulse. On her wrist. He was gripping so tight that he felt her pulse. She was still alive! The thing hadn't happened much time before!

"Yuki! Yuki!"

"…"

"Please, don't die! Don't go away! I'll… I'll bring you to an hospital!"

"… Na… Ru…"

"Yuki…" _"What am I thinking? Even if I bring her to the hospital, they'll just… Hurt her more… No one will help her…"_

"**But you want… And you can."**

"! What!"

"**Shut up, brat. And listen to what I say. We don't have much time, if you want to save your friend. Just do as I tell you, and follow my every order."**

"… Why should I trust you, whoever you are? You could just be some Genjutsu…"

"**Because you have no other choice."**

"… What I have to do?"

"**Using your index and middle fingers, press both her temples. Then channel all the chakra that you can trough them."**

"Y-Yes…"

Naruto did as told. He pressed Yuki's temples, her breath rapidly fading. He then channelled all the chakra that he had in his body trough them. Suddenly, Yuki's body arched like she had convulsions, than she fell limply, her breath no more.

"NO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!"

"**SHUT UP! THINK YOUR WORDS WHEN TALKING TO ME, DAMMIT! YOUR FRIEND IS NOT DEAD, SHE'S JUST HYPOTHERMIC!"**

"… Hy… Hypo…"

"**THINK YOUR THOUGHTS!"**

"_R-Right. What… What does hypothermic mean?"_

"**It means that since your friend was so damaged that she couldn't be saved by any medic, I put her in a state that will make her last longer."**

"_Longer… Longer for what?"_

"**Not yet. First, we need to have a talk."**

"_What talk! Hurry! She's dying!"_

"**Shut up! It's about your friend as well! You know who did this to her, right!"**

"… _The same… The same people who did bad things to me…"_

"**WHO, BRAT! WHO! I WANT THE NAMES!"**

"… _The whole village…"_

"**And… What would you want to do to them?"**

"…"

Naruto then remembered about all the times when he longed for bad things to happen to his assailants. Wounds, amputations of limbs, even death… That since he entered the academy and the students joined the adults. Since he knew what was death and blood and wounds… That was what being a ninja consisted of. But he restrained himself from reacting… Because he didn't want to appear as a bad guy to Yuki. He didn't want to become… The same as them. But now… Now he couldn't restrain himself. He wanted them to die. To burn in the flames of hell.

"**Good, kit. Keeping strain those emotions is not healthy for a demon, figures for a human. You reacted exactly how I thought."**

"… _How can you read my thoughts? Who are you?"_

"**I'll explain this later… But now we have to go. We have to leave this village, if we want to save your friend… And yourself. Do you trust me? Will you do as I tell you?"**

"… Yes. I'll do as you tell me but I want to know your name."

"… **I have another name, but for now just call me Kitsu."**

"Ok."

Naruto slowly and gently wrapped his shirt around Yuki's fragile body and then even more carefully he picked her up. Then, he started walking towards the village's gates, as Kitsu was telling him. The guards noticed him.

"Oh, look. It's the demon."

"It seems that he found out our little present…"

"…"

Naruto felt anger and pain increasing, but he did not let it overflow him. They were Chunins, maybe even Jonins. He didn't stand a chance. Then, Kitsu told him to tell them what they wanted to hear. He suggested every word.

"So, where are you going, demon?"

"… I'm going to bury her. Then, I'll commit suicide. You won, damn humans."

"… Really! Ahahah! Then we should have killed the little bitch a lot of time ago!"

"Open the gate!"

"…" "… _I hate them…"_

"**Calm down. Emotions must not overflow you. They're a weapon. Calm down, and walk out."**

Naruto walked trough the now opened gates, still holding Yuki in his arms. Then, suddenly, he felt a boot pushing him hard in the back. He almost fell, but since he feared for Yuki's health, he just fell on one knee, and restrained himself to react, hearing the laughs of the gatekeepers.

"**Good, brat. Good. Continue on walking. I'll tell you about the directions to take."**

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In the end, Kitsu brought Naruto to a clearing half a mile away from Konoha. It was surrounded by petrified trees, a consequence of Kyuubi's attack, probably. Then, Naruto began to do what Kitsu told him to do. He began to write something on the ground using stones. A complex pattern of a seal. It took Naruto at least four hours, and a lot of work, but Kitsu told him that Yuki could survive just for other five hours, so he kept on trying. And in the end, he did it all right.

"I've… I've finished…"

"**Good. Now, brat, do the last thing I told you to do."**

"Yes…"

Naruto brought Yuki and himself in the centre of the pattern of the seal. Then, he did the last thing Kitsu told him to do. He cut his arm, letting blood flow on the seal. The inscription began to glow blood red.

"I… I still don't understand why I needed to do this…"

"**Because trough your blood, my chakra will activate the seal."**

"Trough my blood… Your chakra?"

"**Yes, brat. Try to reason. It's not that difficult. I can hear your thoughts and talk to you in your mind, and my chakra flows trough your blood. So, where am I?"**

"… Inside me?"

"**Exactly."**

Suddenly, a wave of red chakra burst from the seal, and began to form a dome around and above the kids.

"W-What! What's happening! Who are you!"

"**Calm down, brat. We'll have a lot to do, during these six years. First thing, my real name."**

"S-Six years!"

"**My name is Abunai Masaru (2), brat. Otherwise know as the Kyuubi no Kitsune."**

And with that, it was born the strange dome-rock in the middle of the petrified forest. A mythical rock… That only lasted six years.

**The game**

**Konoha1: Let's play a game**

Nobody knew how that rock appeared. It just appeared in the same day of when the demon of Konoha died after witnessing the death of his bitch. A lot of ninjas of Konoha tried to uncover its secrets, but no one had success. That… Till the 23th of march, six years after that day. A traveller was resting from his long travel, what else, in the same clearing.

"Uff… What a hot place… Practically no shade… And this rock… The result of the death of a demon. Ah, to think that he tried to trick an entire village disguising himself as a child… Hn?"

Suddenly, the traveller turned around after he heard a sound. Like of a egg cracking. But there was no egg to crack, he told to himself, so he kept on resting. That before… The egg, no the dome-rock, cracked, exploded, sending gust of winds everywhere and filling with red light the whole clearing. Then, the traveller turned around. In the middle of the clearing were now standing three figures, shadowed by the red light.

"After six years, the first words that we hear are the same that we heard when we last saw the outside world… I'm soooo hurt…"

"Aren't you always on everyone's mouth…"

"So, who takes the first kill?"

"…"

"I think it would be right to let Masaru this honour, since he has been trapped inside my body for 10 years."

"Much obliged…"

"…"

So, the life of a traveller ended by the hands of a certain Masaru. And he couldn't help but think that the demon who died in that place had something to do with that.

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In the meanwhile, in the village of Konoha, everything was going on for the best. The children were happy, because there was no school that day. It was the anniversary of the death of the demon of Konoha, so there was going to be a party and the whole village was preparing it. Too bad that a few days after they would have to commemorate the death of one of the Hokages, the Sandaime, who dyed four years after the death of the demon, by the hands of Orochimaru. The village was nearly wiped out, that day, by the joined forces of sound and sand, but thanks to the return of both the other Sannins, the village could be saved. The current Hokage was the same Tsunade, and Jiraya as well decided to stay in the village. After all, a lot of beautiful women resided there. So, all the people were so focused on the upcoming party that the Jonins at the village's gates didn't notice three figures jumping over them, and landing on the rooftops of Konoha.

"Not much changed… A part the portrait of that Tsunade's woman on the Hokage's mountain."

"… Well, do we want to start?"

"Ok. I'll head to the Hokage's office, as planned. You two do your 'chores'. There's only one rule, of course."

"We know, we know…"

"Cause as much noise and mayhem possible."

"Exactly. Now, go."

"Of course."

Masaru got away, in the direction of the Hokage's office, leaving alone his two companions.

"Are you sure you want to be alone?"

"Yes. It's something that I must do alone. But thanks for concerning."

"… You're welcome."

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All the males of Konohagakure no sato were asking themselves the same thing. Where the hell did the girl they were now drooling over come. The girl was an incredible sight for male eyes. She had jet black waist-length black hair, pale skin and blue eyes. She seemed around fifteen years old, but the blue kimono with a golden dragon pattern held by a cream sash and the sandals made her look like a mature woman. A HOT mature woman. The girl stopped in front of a certain house, knocking at the door with her beautiful right hand. To the door answered a couple of people around their middle thirties.

"Yes, young lady? What can we do for you?"

"Hello. I was searching for Keppaku **(3) **Yuki."

The couple seemed a little startled, from that request. But they got back their calm in a few seconds, holding each other hands.

"If you're… If you're searching for the demon's whore, she died six years ago. If you're searching for our daughter… She died ten years ago."

"Oh! Yes! How stupid of me!"

The young girl giggled, and then smiled. The smile was so beautiful that it was almost blinding. But the smile couldn't make the two whips the girl summoned in her arms invisible to the couple.

"I forgot you almost let them kill me!"

"…"

"Sayonara, kaa-san and tou-san **(4)**."

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Tsunade finally got over another long morning of hard work. The preparations for the festival for the death of the demon of Konoha were much more tiring than anyone could think. Especially for the Hokage. So, the first thing that she did, once in her office, was to slump into her chair, letting her head rest a little. But it wasn't so bad. Days like that were calm and quiet, unlike many others… Then, something caught her attention. Like a little shadow of something passing in front of her window. She got back on her feet and checked out of the window. Nothing. Strange… Must have been a bird. When she turned around, however, he found someone else seated on her chair, who was leaning his feet on her desk. He wore a grey shirt and a black pair of pants under a long black cloak with a single button, which covered his mouth. He wore also a pair of boots and a pair of sheathed katanas were hanging from his side. The stranger had long light brown hair and a pair of deep… Red eyes. Like the Uchiha clan, but without the dots that marked their bloodline, and much more brilliant. He seemed in his mid twenties.

"… Who are you? Do you know you are in the office of a Hokage?"

"Of course. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

"… So, you're looking for me?"

"No. Just for the Hokage."

"… What are you saying?"

"I say that I don't care about your real name. You're the Hokage…"

The strange man got back on his feet, and then, in a swift move, he unsheathed both his katanas, revealing white pearl blades and black handles.

"And that's all that matters to me."

"…"

So much for the calm day…

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All of the villagers who saw him were thinking the same thing: who the hell was this boy? He was around fifteen years old. He was wearing an opened red vest that looked very similar to a Jonin one, a pair of large blue pants with a white patter on each tight, a pair of jade coloured sandals. Also, he was wearing a strange scarf that first crossed on his forehead, then around his neck then it fell down behind his back, and at his ears, a pair of black pearl earrings. But what stunned the villagers weren't his clothes, nor was his body or his mesmerizing blue eye, since the other one was covered by a strand of his blonde hair. It was his appetite. He stopped at Ichiraku ramen and ordered three bowls of miso ramen, but it did not end there. He ate forty bowls of ramen, and all in few minutes.

"Ahhh! Now, I'm full! This ramen is the best!"

"Well, thanks, young lad."

"Here's the payment…"

Old man Ichiraku found strange that the blonde boy used the word 'payment' instead of 'money', but he understood when he saw what he put on the counter in front of his daughter. A bag full of precious stones: rubies, emeralds, diamonds and a big red pearl that stood among the others.

"But… This…"

"With this you will probably live as rich people for… Four lives! Enjoy yourselves in the new village!"

"New village? What…"

Suddenly, the red pearl flashed, and old man Ichiraku along with his daughter Ayame and the bag of precious stones disappeared. Naruto did a back flip and got on his feet. Suddenly, he snapped his fingers, and both his bracers became big white claws that covered his hands, which he grabbed in a swift move.

"Good. Now, let's start this little thing called destruction."

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Tsunade was not so having a good day. She was no fighting a mysterious guy who was probably at her same level. The destruction she could make with her fists, he did with his Katanas, cutting entire pieces of buildings with one swing. After five minutes of fighting, she had cuts on her left arm and her right tight, while she hit her opponent in the ribs and the in the leg, but he was jumping and cutting like before, like nothing happened.

"_Very, very strange… Or he has some kind of absolute defence, or he heals really fast… Since I saw his leg bend, before going back to normal, I assume that he has a high speed healing factor…"_

"It's useless to try to exit the village. You'll just waste your energy."

"_He's right. I have no choice but to fight him here."_ "Ah!"

"Katuryoku ha **(5)**."

Suddenly, the man cross-swung the katanas in front of him, summoning a cross of energy that connected with one of Tsunade's enhanced punches. The explosion made Tsunade fall back while the stranger charged, since she was the only one near the explosion.

"Damn…"

"Submit."

"The hell with it!"

Tsunade covered both her hands with chakra and tried to grab both the katanas of his opponent, and she managed to shatter one of it. However, the other one her right shoulder.

"Ngh!"

"… You're a powerful ninja. You managed to destroy one of my katanas."

"Hmph. I don't give a damn about your compliments."

"I'd have the same behaviour."

"Fuck your… Uh?"

Suddenly, Tsunade noticed that mayhem was coming from two other zones of the village. One was a building of the civilian area, which got engulfed by flames in few seconds, and right after it got covered by ice, then it shattered. The other one was a road in the market area, that got covered by a cloud of dust because of an explosion.

"What the…"

"It seems they have started as well. Good." _"Remember. Keep in contact with each other and remember the math lessons. Arrived at 50, stop."_

"_No problem!"_

"_Yes, Masaru-san!"_

"They're… They're with you? How many of you bastards have entered this village?"

"It's just me and my two friends. Yuki-chan and Naruto-kun."

"Na… Naruto? Isn't it…"

"Yes. The so called 'demon of Konoha' is back… Angry and longing for revenge."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since Yuki was in the civilian area, she managed to kill 23 people. All civilians. Naruto, since he was in the market, managed to kill just 7 people when the first ninjas arrived. Two chunins, one holding a katana and the other one was doing hand seals.

"Stop right now!"

"You're under arrest!"

"Uhmmm… Ok, let's try that brand new trick."

Naruto trusted forward his right punch, covered with that strange white knuckle, in the direction of one of the chunin, the one with the Katana… from his punch erupted like an enormous ray of what seemed white chakra, that disintegrated the upper half of the chunin, emitting like the sound of a screeching girl. The other one immediately finished the hand seal, and used a mid-level Katon jutsu. Naruto disappeared in a flash of white light, and reappeared behind him.

"Uhm… I think I'll call it Sora-iro no Siroi no Taba **(6)**."

Then… He just broke his neck, turning his head of 360°. The chunin fell to the ground, foam and blood coming out from his mouth.

"This… I don't think I'll need a name for this. I just broke your neck."

"_Naru, I'm at 31!"_

"_Good. Too bad I'm just at 9. Two chunins took a bit of my time. Masaru?"_

"_I'm occupied with the Hokage, at the moment. A pretty good fighter. She destroyed one of my katanas. Kill the last ten people. Then, we'll meet in the central plaza of the village."_

"_Ok. I'll take care of the last ten people with my new move that I've just named Sora-iro no Siroi no…"_

"_Naru…"_

"_What?"_

"_He cut off the connection."_

"… _He knows that it pisses me off. HE KNOWS IT!"_

And with another pair of Sora-iro no Siroi no Taba, a pretty pissed off Naruto killed the last ten people. Konoha was now down for the count.

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"Hmph. Well, I think we'll conclude this fight another time, Hokage-sama."

"!"

With that, Masaru teleported away. Then one more time. And one more time. And more. Tsunade guessed that he was headed for the central plaza of Konoha. She followed him, and he found himself behind a barrier of red chakra along with a blonde haired boy and a black haired girl, around fifteen years old. From what her opponent said… The blonde was probably the demon of Konoha, Naruto.

"…" "_He was supposed to be dead… But he isn't, it seems. So, the girl is probably his 'whore', as the story says. But who is the young man?"_

The Hokage approached the barrier, but didn't dare to touch it, judging from the amount of chakra coming from it. She just wanted to look at her opponent in the eyes. Soon, almost all the ninjas of Konoha were in the main plaza, surrounding the barrier.

"… Who are you? And what do you want?"

"My name is Aburai Masaru. And they're Naruto and Yuki. But you probably know them as the 'demon of Konoha' and his whore."

This made the whole audience gasp, even a certain broody Uchiha. The demon was back… No… He never died. The outburst of chakra that the entire fire country felt that day was him using his powers to save his mate, it seemed. Tsunade narrowed her eyes, looking angrily at the trio.

"… The Kyuubi…"

"Nonono! Correction!"

The attention of the whole audience turned to Naruto, who was crossing his arms in a denying sign, shaking his head.

"For the last time, I wasn't and I'm not the Kyuubi! I was just his jailer! Kyuubi is Aburai Masaru here!"

This earned more gasps from the audience, and even a few screams. The Kyuubi… Was back. But why was he so… Quiet? And why was he in a human form.

"… I would have preferred to introduce myself personally, but Naruto has always been a little thick. However, I'm the Kyuubi, yes. And for what matters my human form and my unusual quiet attitudet… Let's say that changes were needed, if I wanted to come back to this world."

"Masaru-saaan… Enough chitty-chat! We're not here for make fans, you know."

"Yes, I know…"

"… So, what are you here for?"

"… A game."

"A game."

"Yes. In one year, Konoha will meet his end by our own hands."

"!"

"Yeah! One year starting from today!"

"… Naruto…"

"Yeees?"

"What did we say about letting me do all the talk?"

"…"

"Good. Now, one year starting from today, because otherwise it wouldn't be a game. This game will have a few rules. First: don't try to evacuate the village, or we'll just destroy it now. Second: Not all the villagers will be killed."

"?"

"We'll spare 12 people out of all of you."

Then, silence fell over the entire audience. Just twelve people… Out of an entire village?

"We'll come to take one person each month. And on that day, we'll kill 50 people as well. Only one of them will be a ninja."

"…" "_Sadist bastards…"_

"Third rule: if you can guess who is the one who will be saved each month, we will spare the 50 people."

"… That's all?"

"No. The fourth rule, the one that could save your worthless lives… If you'll manage to fulfil a certain condition at the end of the year, we will spare Konoha for another year, giving you more time to prepare."

"… Which condition?"

"That, Hokage-sama, is yours to guess. Now we will take our leave. See you in a month, Konoha."

"Masaru…"

"Yes?"

"Can I talk, now?"

"… Yuki."

"Yes."

"OW! What did I do!"

And with that, the three strange people disappeared, along with the barrier, leaving a terrified or worried or angry village of Konoha. After what seemed like an year, the Hokage finally spoke.

"… Damn it."

"Hokage-sama, what will we do! The demon is back!"

"Yes… Along with his jailer and an innocent girl, it seems…"

"… Should we summon the council?"

"Yes… Uh?"

Tsunade noticed something on the ground, in the same place where the three new enemies of Konoha were standing a few minutes before. It was a small piece of paper. With something written on it.

**Dear Hokage-sama, this is the hint for the 'saved' of this first month. Read carefully and guess… If you can.**

**Strong and weak**

**Beautiful and ugly**

**Like a flower waiting to bloom**

**A strong will yet signed by doom**

"Now even the riddles…"

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"Eheheh… It went all like we studied in these years!"

"And it will only get better, Naru!"

"Calm down… This is only the beginning."

The trio was rocketing trough the trees, in the direction of the wind country. They had something to do.

"You know very well that we're not enough powerful to destroy Konoha alone. I'm just barely above Kage level, while you are mid-Jonin."

"Yes! But they don't know it! And that's the funny thing! Psychological warfare… I SOOO LIKE IT!"

"We'll put them trough all and more that you've been trough, Naru!"

"Yes… But you took a bit of pain too, Yuki-chan… You almost died…"

"… Naru… It wasn't your fault… You know it…"

"Lovebirds, do I have to remind you what we have to do?"

The two teens blushed at the remark from the older man, who sprinted in front of them, leading their way.

"We need allies, if we want to destroy Konoha. People like us."

"Yes… Our first target?"

"Sabaku no Gaara. Sunagakure no sato."

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

Konoha. The game has began. And now Konoha must face his crimes and do everything possible to save itself. And to do it… They must do something no one has ever even tried to do. Research trough the demon's life. Stay tuned!

So? Do you love it? Do you hate it? Let me know! And try to guess the mysterious person!

**Translations**

**(1) Yuki: **Snow

**(2) Aburai Masaru: **Dangerous superior being

**(3) Keppaku: **Purity

**(4) Kaa-san/Tou-san: **Mom/Dad

**(5) Katuryoku ha: **Energy blade

**(6) Sora-iro no Siroi no Taba: **Celestial white beam


	2. Demons 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto… I own my possible original characters, though…

Wow! This story is getting a lot of popularity! First chapter 22 reviews! Wow! I lurva ya, guys! Now, enjoy this second chapter. By the way, I'll alternate the chapters this way. A chapter with the demon group and a chapter with the situation in Konoha. Since the first chapter was in Konoha, this one will be following the trip of the demon group. Enjoy!

"… _So, what are you here for?"_

"… _A game."_

"_A game."_

"_Yes. In one year, Konoha will meet his end by our own hands."_

"_!"_

"_We need allies, if we want to destroy Konoha. People like us."_

"_Yes… Our first target?"_

"_Sabaku no Gaara. Sunagakure no sato."_

**The game**

**Demons1: The star-gazing assassin**

Naruto, Masaru and Yuki headed for Sunagakure. It was time to start the second part of the plan. Retrieving members. The biggest flaw in the game was… That it was all false, for the moment. The three of them, alone, didn't have enough power to destroy Konoha. That's why they needed to retrieve people to help them in their quest. People like them, who suffered the same pain. After the first day of trip, they stopped in a clearing and set up a camp-fire. They were already outside the fire country, so they didn't have to worry about ANBU or Otonin coming after them.

"So, the first target is this Sabaku no Gaara… Tell us about him, Masaru-san."

"Yeah. You were the one checking the world outside during these last six years."

"Sure. Sabaku no Gaara. Youngest son of the Yondaime Kazekage and vessel of the Ichibii, Shukaku, the relic of the sand. The demon was placed in his body the very day he was born."

"Gaara… Demon who loves only himself…"

"Exactly. The name was given by him by his mother, her last dieing words. She died giving birth to him."

"Understood… So, since the relic was purposely sealed inside him, he's some sort of ultimate weapon… Shouldn't he be happy of his life?"

"Not exactly… They didn't use a sealing technique, but a possession technique."

"Ouch…"

"Yes. The demon never let him sleep, and he currently isn't letting him. If Gaara was to sleep, the demon would take over. Because of that, everyone hates and fears him because he goes berserk in random places on random times. His father never cared to begin with. So, put the needed sleep and the emotional scars together, and you have a pretty instable Jinchuuriki."

"Uhm… He was involved during the invasion of Konoha, wasn't he?"

"Yes. So, I wasn't the only one to check the outside, Yuki…"

"Eheh… Every now and then…"

"Yes, he was used in the invasion of Konoha. But in the end, you know how it ended. He was defeated by Tsunade the sannin and current Godaime. That happened three years ago, and things only got worse for him. He's on the verge of breaking down, and the village knows it."

"… So?"

"I'll give you a tip. There have been three Jinchuuriki for the shukaku, Gaara included."

"But shouldn't a demon die with his… … Shit!"

"Poor boy…"

"Exactly. They're going to extract the demon from him in a few days. Three days, I believe. But we could even arrive during the execution."

"Then we have to hurry! We can't let this happen!"

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Gaara had always been not your average shinobi. In nothing. First thing, he killed his first man, accidentally, when he was four years old. Then, he learned from his errors. His next kills were accidental no more. After the attack on Konoha, the village discovered that the Kazekage had been killed by Orochimaru. While the entire village was in pain, Gaara felt almost relief. That man made his life a living hell. He was almost to crush his body in many little pieces than scattering them into the desert, but then he decided that destroying a body wasn't a thing that would fulfil his need for revenge. Now… There was something strange in the air. The stares… Were different. They still hated him, but no more feared him. Their stares were saying not only hate, but even… Relief. Almost wicked happiness. Whatever. Who knows what were they thinking. And it wasn't important. He didn't even bother to understand the few whispers that came to his ears.

"Finally… We'll get rid of him…"

"When?"

"In two days…"

"The extraction will take place…"

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"I… I still don't completely agree with this…"

Temari and Kankuro had been summoned to the presence of the council of the sand for a simple matter. They were the siblings of Gaara. And since their parents died both, they had to agree to the matter of the extraction of the relic from Gaara… Well, not really. The council just wanted to know if they would have to kill the two of them as well, other than Gaara. The relic was going to be extracted no matter what. Kankuro immediately agreed out of fear. Fear for the council's reaction and Gaara. He had always been afraid of his little brother. But Temari wasn't the same. Motherly istinct, probably, but still he didn't want to let her little brother be executed at such young age.

"Temari, you knew that this would happen. From the day the Shukaku had been sealed inside him."

"Yes… But he's only fifteen!"

"He has become too instable. He's a risk for everything and everyone."

"… Still… I…"

"Temari… Please, we need you to collaborate. We would just lose shinobis, if we tried to make him unconscious."

"…"

"This will be the end of the sufferance. For this village… And for himself."

"… All right. We'll do what you asked us."

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Gaara was annoyed. He always were, when he couldn't train, kill, go on missions, etc… So, when he couldn't, he just sat on the roof looking at whatever was in the sky. The moon, the sun, the clouds, the stars… He liked staring at them, because they were the only things that not irradiated hate and didn't remember him of his situation. The houses. People lived into them, and those people probably hated him. Trees. The branches reminded him of what was left of the bodies that he destroyed. The ground. People walked onto it and blood and tears stained it. So… He liked to look at the sky. He like the stars the most. The sun was too bright to look at for a long time, and the clouds eventually took shapes that reminded him of unpleasant things. The moon was too much similar to eyes or a scythe, so… He liked to watch the stars, and creating his own constellations. When he was star-gazing… It was the only time when he managed to keep his hate under control. He liked to lay on his back and move his hand to form patterns. Nothing could break his quiet… Except the signal that dinner was ready. He jumped from the roof and fell on a cloud of sand, then he jumped into the kitchen. Dinner was ready. A happy family dinner with your siblings cooked by your elder sister… Well, the younger sibling was a bloodlust killer and the other two were afraid of him. That's why Temari only cooked once a week. But even if they never talked, while eating, Gaara noticed that there was something wrong. The silence was even more… Quieter than usual. Temari didn't ate almost anything. And Kankuro was sweating even more than the usual. So, breaking the tradition, Gaara decided to talk.

"… What's wrong with you two?"

"!"

"!"

"So? You're not just silent, you're more terrified than the usual of me. Why… Is… …" _"… My head… Feels heavy…"_

"… I'm sorry…"

And then… Gaara felt his eyelids closing, his head heavy… And he saw something that he had never seen before. He saw… His sister crying. Tears flowing on both her cheeks, like two rivers. So… Was she sad? Or was she in pain? Or… He couldn't think anymore because of how heavy was his head, and after all, he wasn't really expert in feelings… The one he knew better was hate… And that alone said much.

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When he woke up, Gaara noticed that he wasn't in his house anymore. And he was neither on the ground. He was chained up to a wall, his limbs in a X, wearing nothing but his pants. He couldn't see behind him, but he knew that on the wall was some sort of enormous seal. He tried to broke free trough physical force, but the chains were impossible to break. And he didn't even bother to try to summon his sand. It was obvious that the seal was to prevent the use of his demon powers. He looked around. He was in some sort of dungeon, and around him… The whole council, the Kazekage and his two siblings were standing looking at him.

"… Could I know the meaning of this?"

"It's simple, Gaara. We're going to extract the Ichibii from your body."

"… If I remember what was written inside a book, the extraction of the relic means the death of the carrier…"

"Exactly. You've become too instable with every passing year. We can't risk you to break loose on our village. You're a weapon without control."

"… It's not my fault. It has never been and it never will be. Blame my father, to begin with."

"… Shut up, scum!"

A member of the council threw a stone to Gaara, hitting him on the forehead, right on the tattoo. The cut was so deep that it began to bleed. The tattoo was destroyed, ruined, and blood covered Gaara's face.

"We will be forced no more to hear your nonsense and to fear you! You will soon die, demon! Right tomorrow!"

"… Go to hell…"

"… Come on, let's leave. We'll come back tomorrow to take you to the central plaza. The entire village will see your execution!"

"…"

The crowd exited the room, Kankuro one of the first ones. The last one was Temari… Well, she didn't exit. She just stayed there, fixing Gaara. Gaara lifted his head and decided to talk.

"… You slipped something into the soup, right?"

"… Gaara, I'm sorry… This is…"

"No need to be sorry, Temari… It's all my fault…"

"Eh?"

Temari looked at Gaara with something on her face… Relief? But Gaara suddenly shot her one of his chilly, frightening glares.

"Since you were my sister… And you're the only one who ever tried to be something more than a tutor or a controller… I trusted you. This is my only error."

Then Gaara spat on the ground, shocking Temari. Then he hardened his glare even more. And then he said…

"Now get out of here. Now."

"… Gaara, I…"

"GET LOST!"

"…"

More tears then ran over Temari's face. The blonde girl then suddenly ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Gaara stayed there, in the dark… A night without stars. Well, if the demon was at bay, in that moment, why not enjoying some sleep before death?

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Naruto, Masaru and Yuki were running at the faster pace than they could to reach Sunagakure in time. But it seemed that no matter what pace they were enduring, Naruto was always ahead of them.

"Hey, Naru! You sure are in a hurry!"

"… For a guy that you don't even know…"

"… Of course I'm in a hurry. I want to save this Gaara."

"Hey, Naru. You're even angry. Why is that? It's not like this Gaara is a friend of yours… You know him just thanks to the demonic threads…"

"Yes… But we are alike."

"…"

"We saw trough the threads that every Jinchuuriki has the same fate. Hated when under control, hated and feared when he's not under control. They just think of us as weapons…"

"…"

"I never met anyone like me, before. This Gaara would be the first one, other than the first addition to our group. So, we can't let this happen!"

"… You know, Naru… That's your problem. You're too kind for your own good."

"Too bad that Konoha didn't see that… And I don't think they'll ever again have the opportunity."

"Ihihih… Right."

"…" "_Konoha… What an incredible place. To make a child like Naruto hate them… Really an incredible place."_

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Gaara woke up at the sound of a creaking door. Three sand ANBU walked in and began to place paper seals all over his body. They placed the last one on the seal of Shukaku, behind his neck. Then, they opened the chains. Immediately after, they tackled Gaara to the ground and pulled his arms behind his back, locking them in another chain. Gaara didn't even bother to fight back. He had never been a good Taijutsu fighter, and without his sand and his hands to do handseals he was vulnerable as a newborn baby.

"… Soon… Soon it will be all over… And my brother will be avenged…"

"Calm down. We can't afford to lose the relic."

"…"

They pulled him up and began to push him forward. Gaara looked straight in front of him. They walked up a set of stairs and then out in the sunlight. A whole crowd was waiting for his passage, finally able to glare at him, and to throw him things that couldn't be blocked anymore by his sand and without the fear of getting killed. They even screamed awful things to him. Gaara didn't bother. He just kept on walking. Then, they arrived. The central plaza of Sunagakure. What looked like an altar stood in the middle of it. Gaara was forced to climb the steps. Then, they removed his chains and slammed him hard on his back onto the altar. Then, the two ANBU did hand-seals and chakra chains blocked the movement of his limbs one more time. One member of the council walked up to him, and spat in his face. Then he turned to the crowd.

"People of Sunagakure! Today we get free of our curse!"

"_Your only curse is yourselves…"_

Gaara looked around. Strange… Temari and Kankuro weren't around. How come?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Even if their house was very near to the central plaza, Temari couldn't force herself to go and watch his little brother die. Not after what he said to her. He trusted her. He, Sabaku no Gaara, the demon who only loved his own self, trusted her. And she had betrayed him. Kankuro was trying to comfort her, but with no use.

"Temari… Come on…"

"I can't believe this…"

"It wasn't your fault… You couldn't know."

"Great elder sister I am, then. Can't you understand what I've done? I betrayed his trust… I am maybe the only one who got trust from him… And look what happened…"

"Temari, it's too late for rethinking, now. There's nothing else you can do, not to save him, not to earn his trust again in a few minutes."

"… Nothing I can do…"

No. There was something.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The member of the council kept on doing his speech about the demon, the nightmare that affected the village for years, and other bullshit. He just stood thought about his current situation. Ending his life without never being loved, having murdered a lot of people, knowing nothing else but hate in his life… Yes. He could bear that. After all, he didn't have regrets. He didn't even know what he should regret. Then, the council member turned around, and Gaara noticed that the two ANBU were holding one a katana and the other one what looked like a whip.

"But before the extraction… We decided to give the village a bit of entertainment. The torture of the one who has never been hurt before!"

"…" "_Sadistic bastard…"_

"Don't hit vital points… But hurt him the most you can."

"Well, what about hitting him in the stomach? We'll close the wound right after…"

"Ok. Stab him. I'll ready the medical jutsu."

"…"

The ANBU with the katana approached Gaara and then held the weapon with both hands above Gaara's stomach. Gaara knew that this was going to hurt badly. Gaara closed his eyes, preparing to experience pain. The ANBU lowered his katana, then… It all happened in few seconds. Gaara had felt something like a strong gust of wind, and then he felt some hot sticky liquid spraying all his face and chest. But… He didn't feel pain. No pain. He opened his eyes… And he realized the blood was not his own. He noticed someone had shielded him from the katana, who trespassed her heart instead. Her. Because it was Temari who took the blade for him. Gaara observed her wide-eyed, then the girl, coughing out blood, slowly turned her head towards Gaara, her eyes and her weak smile clearly saying…

"Your trust… Was rewarded…"

"… Te… Temari…"

Then, the ANBU pulled out his katana out of Temari's body, and the now lifeless girl fell limp above Gaara's chest. Then… Gaara began to felt something that made him oblivious to everything around him. He felt rage. But he was used to it, but there was something else that he couldn't remember what was… How much time from the last time when he felt… Sad. Sad, incredibly sad. A single tear fell out from his right eye, then he said…

"Help her…"

"This useless whore… This demon probably corrupted her…"

"HELP HER, DAMMIT! SHE'S GOING TO DIE!"

"Shut up! This bitch got what she deserved! And by the way, she's dead already!"

Saying this, the council member grabbed Temari's body and threw it down from the altar. Gaara felt more angry than ever before in his life, and he began to struggle against the chakra chains, screaming like there was no tomorrow.

"AAAAAAAAAARGH! I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Tsk… Showing feelings, demon? Continue with the torture."

"Uhm… Sorry, but…"

"!"

"!"

The council member turned around… Just to be beheaded by a katana. Gaara looked around him. Both the ANBU were dead, and their killers were still holding them. A blonde haired teen around his age who had struck his right fist trough the ANBU's heart, and a black haired girl who had just snapped the neck of the other one with a strange blue whip. The one who had beheaded the council member was a light brown haired man holding a katana. The same one who was now removing his seals, while the blonde haired man picked up Temari's body. While Gaara got up, the Suna shinobi were recovering from the shock and were getting ready for the attack.

"… Who are you three?"

"… We were a bit too late, it seems…"

"We're friends. Now, come with us."

"…"

Late for what? He didn't understand what the blonde haired meant. But before he could argue, the three strange guys joined hands while holding Gaara and Temari's body. They teleported away. They were now in a clearing in a forest, far kilometres from Sunagakure. The blonde haired boy gently leaned Temari's body on the ground, then turned to Gaara.

"Sorry if we weren't in time to save your sister…"

"… Where are we?"

"Still in the wind country, but on the borders with the fire country."

"… Thanks."

"Say, Gaara, we saved you because… Uh?"

Masaru leaned a hand on Naruto's right shoulder, telling him with the hand to shut up. Gaara was silently walking towards Temari's body. He got on one knee and joined her hands above her chest, and united her legs. Then, he caressed her right cheek, regretting to not having done it before. Then, he stood back on his feet and began to use his sand powers. He turned the ground under Temari's body into quicksand, letting it drown, slowly. The other three lowered their gazes. This was her funeral.

"… Goodbye, sister."

"…"

"…"

"…"

Then, when the girl finally drowned, Gaara summoned a little bit of sand from the quicksand, stained with the blood of Temari. He then shaped it into a necklace, a star pending from the chain. He then grabbed it with his right hand. After another few minutes of silence, Gaara turned around, to face his saviours, a serious look on his face.

"Why did you help me?"

"… My name is Masaru. They're Naruto and Yuki."

"I didn't ask for your names. Why have you helped me?"

"… It's long to explain, so we'll cut it for the moment. We're like you. Shunned people. Treated like monsters. Well… I was a real monster, before, but the more similar to you is Naruto. He was the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

"…"

"To make the speech short, we want to gather all the Jinchuurikis and maybe other people, because we need their help and power for an objective."

"… So, you want me to join your group? What do I gain from it?"

"We'll remove your demon without killing you, for first thing."

"!"

"I can do it. I've already done it with Naruto." _"By the way, they're both staying silent, this time…"_ "The power of the demon and his chakra will still stay into you, but the demon will disappear. You'll have to learn to use it gradually. Other than that, we will help you in whatever task you want to accomplish."

"…"

Gaara turned towards Temari's 'graveyard', and then back to the three of them, saying with a fierce look…

"I want to destroy Sunagakure no Sato."

"Eh… Guess what? I want to destroy Konohagakure!"

"…"

"But the four of us alone, now, would not be able to do anything! That's why we need more allies! Come with us and we will then go searching for people like us! And then we will be unstoppable! We will kick the ass of every enemy that will cross our way!"

"…" "_Naruto… Well, I was going to use other words, but the point is taken."_

"… Good. I accept. Just one thing, tough…"

"What?"

"Heal my forehead, please. I want that tattoo to disappear, if possible."

"… Yes."

Masaru approached Gaara, his hands glowing in white light. He leaned his right palm on Gaara's forehead. Gaara felt a huge pain, but just greeted his teeth. After a few seconds, his forehead was healed, and his tattoo was no more. He touched his forehead. Neither a scratch.

"… Good."

Then… He decided for another tattoo. He summoned more sand and used it to tattoo his head again. This time, the tattoo was different. The previous one was the Kanji for love. Gaara only loved himself and trusted only himself. But he realized that giving trust to the others paid back, in the end. Always. So, this time the tattoo represented something that he longed for, something that he wanted to reach or emulate. It was the Kanji for 'star'.

"Star? How come you decided for this particular Kanji?"

"… I still don't trust you enough to tell you. Earn my trust… And maybe we'll become friends. For now, we're just collaborators."

"Geez… Ok, ok. What a stuck…"

"NARU! YOU'RE MEANIE!"

"OW!"

"HE JUST LOST A SISTER! COULDN'T YOU TRY TO UNDERSTAND HIM!"

"Ahiahiahi… But he's so calm and collected… I believed…"

"THAT'S JUST HIS CHARACTER, IDIOT!"

"…" "_Always the same, these two…"_

"…" "_Did I get stuck up with two idiots or what? But maybe I could use a little change…"_

"Come on. We got to go. We'll make up camp once inside in the rain country, and there we will make some new clothes for Gaara."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once inside the rain country, Naruto and the others set up a camp and the obvious camp-fire. Gaara stared while Masaru made some clothes for him using a strange technique. He first summoned a strange red chakra, then he morphed it into clothes, identical to the ones he usually wore in Suna. Then they caught some bunnies and roasted it on the fire. After that, he noticed that his three companions were writing something on three different scrolls. He got curious. Usually, when he got curious of something, he just killed the owner of the object and checked it out. But he decided that he probably had to change some bat habits. He owned his sister at least a try.

"… Could I know what are you doing, if it isn't of much… Disturb?"

"Woah… No need to be that much formal, Gaara! They're just our journals."

"… And why do you need three journals?"

"Because each one has his personal one! Masaru holds the official one of the group! The personal ones of me and Naru are more personal!"

"… And what's the purpose of having a personal journal?"

"Uhmmm… How can I explain it… Let's say that it's like a personal treasure chest. You can put into it every secret and personal thought, and no one will look into it."

"…"

Gaara observed the ground in silence for a few seconds, then he decided to talk.

"Would you happen to have a spare scroll?"

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_25 September 762_

_Dear Journal… I never wrote something like this. I'm just following an advice, so excuse me if I'm not doing a good job at talking to you. I felt the need of doing something like this. In this moment… I feel very, very angry. With the village. And with myself, for not realizing… That I always had someone who loved me. I realized it just in the end. And I realized that the trust is something that, if given to the right people, pays back. Now, I changed my tattoo. Now, it's the Kanji for star. That's because… I want to become like my sister, a star. Someone who people can trust. Someone important for the others. Someone that can guide and be of reference for the others. And… I think that's all, for today._

_Sabaku no Gaara_

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_25 September 762_

_And so, the Game has finally started! In a year Konoha will meet his hand, and I'll so enjoy seeing its pain and terror! MUAHAHAH! But I don't do this because I'm evil. I just want revenge. Konoha… The peaceful village? Just a bunch of hypocrites. They're even more evil than the other villages… And it's not revenge just for me. For Yuki-chan as well… I… I still can't think about what I would have done if I she died… Soon or later I'll have to tell her about my feelings… BUT FOR NOW YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS! BOOO-HOOOO! TT_

_Your ramen-and-Yuki-chan-loving Naruto_

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_25 September 762_

_Our project has started. Konoha will fall. I began to plan this project four years ago. I owe Naruto this. It's thanks to him that I managed to come back to the real world. And I even managed to change my character in the process. I began more… Human. And this is a good thing. Now, tomorrow I'll extract Shukaku from Gaara's body and we'll destroy him. It's a shame that we can't apply to him the same process that morphed myself. But he would be too uncontrollable. The demon threads already signalled to me the best place to practice the extraction._

_Aburai Masaru_

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_25 September 762_

_Awww… Diary-chan! I couldn't manage to tell him today neither! When will I gain enough courage to tell him! I'm so afraid that he will refuse… I mean, he would never hurt me on purpose, but maybe he thinks of me only as a sister… AAAAH! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DOOOOOO! TT Maybe… When all this destroy-Konoha thing will end… Yes… After that… What we will do? Hmm… I don't think it's healthy worrying about the future before it arrives. I'm made this way! Otherwise I would never have befriended Naru… It would have been my greatest error._

_Your in-love-Yuki_

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

Masaru has now to extract Shukaku from Gaara. In the meanwhile, we discover something else about what happened during the six years inside the sphere. And the next Jinchuuriki is located… Stay tuned!


End file.
